Ah Autumn

I have not fallen off the side of anything; at least, not lately. I AM nursing a slightly cracked metatarsal that made itself known when I twisted my ankle. I'm in an air boot for 8 weeks. Cute knee socks make it tolerable.

I've been meandering through my Kokomo house, sorting, selecting, gifting, and making decisions about what goes to the new residence and what stays here. By spring, I hope to be in one place and have this place ready to sell.

Up at the cottage, we've paved the driveway and replaced the deck. We'll be replacing some windows and adding a gas fireplace insert. It's getting homey.

I work..that's not really accurate...through closets and rooms, piling and discarding, sending and keeping. I pepper these tasks with travel. If you're with me on Facebook, you may know about this.

Over the years of Mike's illness, people reached out to me; besides my church family, neighbors, kin, and colleagues, there's a group of folks who came to our blog and/or made friends on the Dennis Miller message board. Although I had never met them in person, many have reached out to me and made themselves dear.

So, one thing I wanted to do, once Mike was safely home, was to travel and put faces with names. And that's what I've been doing.

Last month, I drove to Chicago and then to Springfield, meeting some friends. Later, spent a week with sister Kris in the Los Angeles area: six folks, including the crew at the radio studio, now have faces.

Soon, I'll swing through Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey: 5 more friends live there. I don't even wonder if this is creepy, strange, eccentric. It feels good. It IS good.

And, I continue to navigate the new path of my life. Quite often, a friend will say something like, "You know, I look up every once in a while and just expect to see Mike."

Yeah. Me, too. As we were closing, my very athletic husband could handle short strolls around our neighborhood. We live in a great place to walk. Just today, I rested on a bench in one of our pocket parks, just where Mike and I sat not so long ago. The trees are starting to turn but the view is much the same. It's sweetly sad and happy at the same time.

Also, the Holy Spirit keeps His presence close. I'm learning and growing.

Yesterday, I needed to make a trip to school. Although I planned it for a time when most students should be in class, I gathered a  lot of hugs. (What a great job I've had) Then, I stopped in a friend's room where tutoring was in progress. I found that I can drop by and help when I feel like it. And there's some more joy. It's the teaching part that I love. It's the teaching part that I miss.

(There's a lot more to being a teacher these days.)

So, for now, I'm taking care of business, cleaning out my house, and walking with my Lord. Thanks for your continued prayers. Our God is taking good care of me.